Chronicle the events that led to victory for the Allied Powers in WWII

1. Day 119+120 Objectives • Chronicle the events that led to victory for the Allied Powers in WWII • Analyze the reasons why the Axis powers lost/Allied powers won WWII

2. The End of WWII June 6, 1944 • Dday = • Rest of the War… • December 1944 = Battle of the Bulge • February 1945 = Yalta Conference • April 1945 = Mussolini’s end • April-May 1945 = Race to Berlin • May 8 = VE Day • Summer 1945 = Beating Japan • August 14 = VP Day

3. 3. Yalta Conference February 1945

4. Issues at the Yalta Conference • Must get what out of the Germans (this time) • Germany and Berlin to be split up into 4 zones • rebuilding to be done in the 4 zones • Cartoon?

5. Stalin allowed to reshape Eastern European countries • Poland is major issue • Stalin agrees to free elections (ha!!)

6. Cultural Center of Dresden

7. The Real Response • Incendiary bombs were used…create fires • Cultural Center of Dresden destroyed • Most military targets not damaged • Oil refineries not damaged • 35-100K deaths • ~85-100K deaths in atom bomb attacks • 2 months from end of the war

11. Architecture destroyed

12. Semper Opera House

13. Dresden Frauenkirche

15. Final Opinion?

16. 5e. April 1945 • Benito Mussolini captured and killed by the Italian people

17. Mussolini’s End

18. Mussolini’s Balcony

22. 5. USA & USSR Race to Berlin • April 25, 1945 Stalin beats Eisenhower to Berlin • April 29, 1945 Hitler found dead in Bunker • Goebbels found dead too • May 8, 1945 = V-E Day • Victory in Europe Day

23. May 23, 1945

24. Why did the Axis Powers lose? • Your ideas? • Hitler = made mistakes with Suez Canal and Operation Barbarossa • Hitler physically ill…mentally ill also? • Germany out-produced by Allies • FDR, Churchill and Stalin let Generals do the work

25. Winning the Pacific

26. #5 • FDR dies April 12, 1945 • Unprepared Harry Truman takes over… • Truman will be much more blunt & confrontational than FDR was • Good for what?

27. 6a. Discovery in Pacific ↓ • Okinawa is the last major battle against Japan • Kamikaze planes (suicide planes dw) reveal something to USA • Japan will fight to the death • Japanese propaganda

28. b. Manhattan Project • Top Secret plan to build Atomic Bomb • As VP, Truman didn’t know about it • When inaugurated, he was finally told • Bat Bomb 

29. 7. Potsdam Conference July 1945 • Truman tells Stalin of Atomic Bomb (?) • Truman gets Stalin’s support to beat Japan • Does he want it? • Warning issued to Japan to surrender unconditionally • Japan has no answer • Poland????

30. Truman’s Dilemma • 2 Options • Drop A-Bomb (pro/con) • Invade with US army (pro/con) • Is time on his side?

31. 8. Atomic Bomb • Hiroshima, Aug 6, 1945 • Nagasaki, Aug 9, 1945 • Death toll? • At least 100K • Some estimates at 200K • V-J Day follows • victory in Japan

32. Nagasaki

34. Hiroshima

35. Hiroshima

36. Hiroshima

38. Over 75 million deaths worldwide from WWII

39. Post-War Goal = Prevent another World War (for real this time) • Rebuilding Japan and Germany • United Nations created • Nuremburg Trials

40. Rebuilding Germany • Germany = 4 occupation zones • GB, USA, France and Russia will rebuild

41. Rebuilding Japan 1945-1952

42. NATIONS • Version 2.0 of what org? • League of Nations • 50 Countries join 1945 • Goal? • Peace...no war • Human rights • UN Security Council made up of 5 winners of WW2…veto power  • USA • GB • France • USSR • China

43. Nuremburg Trials • 24 Nazis on trial • 16 charged with war crimes • “Crimes against Humanity” • 12 sentenced to death, 3 life sentences • Effects of Trials = political and military leaders held accountable for Holocaust • Justice?

44. WWII leads to… • Cold War • Europe is in shambles • In whose image will it be rebuilt?